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Related Experiment Videos

Round-headed human spermatozoa.

I Anton-Lamprecht, B Kotzur, E Schopf

    Fertility and Sterility
    |June 1, 1976
    PubMed
    Summary

    Ultrastructural analysis identified two types of round-headed spermatozoa, one resulting from acrosome loss and the other from maturation defects. The former is infertile, while the latter showed some treatment improvement.

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    Area of Science:

    • Reproductive biology
    • Human embryology
    • Spermatozoa morphology

    Background:

    • Round-headed spermatozoa (RHS) are a morphological abnormality linked to male infertility.
    • Understanding the pathomorphogenesis of RHS is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
    • This study investigates two distinct types of RHS identified via ultrastructural analysis.

    Observation:

    • Two cases of human ejaculates with RHS were examined using transmission electron microscopy.
    • Case 1 exhibited RHS due to acrosome loss during spermiogenesis and absent nuclear transformation (Schirren and Holstein type).
    • Case 2 showed RHS resulting from primary maturation inhibition, characterized by retained cytoplasm and underdeveloped acrosomal cap.

    Findings:

    • The Schirren and Holstein type of RHS is characterized by a complete absence of the acrosome and is considered absolutely infertile.
    • The maturation inhibition type of RHS presented with retained cytoplasm and abnormal nuclear/acrosomal development.
    • Therapeutic interventions for the patient in Case 2 led to improved sperm count and a significant reduction in the percentage of RHS (from 80% to 47%).

    Implications:

    • This research differentiates between two etiologies of round-headed spermatozoa, impacting fertility prognosis.
    • The findings suggest that RHS due to maturation defects may be partially responsive to therapeutic interventions.
    • Absolute infertility is associated with the acrosome-deficient type of round-headed spermatozoa, highlighting the critical role of the acrosome in fertilization.

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